Glossary
absent vote
A vote made at a polling place by an elector who is outside his or her own electoral district on election day.
absolute majority
More than 50% of the total formal votes (50%+1).
area
see Local Government Area (LGA)
Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)
The independent statutory authority established to maintain and update the Commonwealth electoral roll and conduct federal elections and referendums.
ballot box
The sealed container where electors place their completed ballot papers.
ballot paper
The paper printed, with the names of candidates, which a voter marks to record their vote in an election.
by-election
An election held to fill a casual vacancy.
candidate
A person who stands for election to a parliament/council.
casual vacancy
A vacancy usually caused by retirement, death or resignation of a Member/Councillor.
check count
On the Sunday after election day the ballot papers are checked and counted again at the returning officer’s office to ensure accuracy of the figures from the election night count.
coalition
A combination of two or more parties in parliament, usually to form the government or opposition.
compulsory enrolment
Every person entitled to be on the electoral roll must complete an enrolment form and send it to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) within 21 days of becoming entitled to do so. A penalty applies for failing to enrol.
compulsory voting
Once enrolled to vote, voting or attendance at a polling booth is compulsory. A penalty applies for failing to vote without a valid reason.
Constitution
A nation or state’s fundamental laws. The NSW Constitution is embodied in an Act of parliament and sets the framework for the system of state government, e.g. two houses of parliament.
Court of Disputed Returns
The Supreme Court sits as the Court of Disputed Returns to hear petitions challenging the validity of a state election.
declared institution
A hospital, nursing home or other institution appointed by the Electoral Commissioner and visited by election officials to take votes from residents who are unable to attend a polling booth.
declaration vote
A vote cast by an elector when the ballot papers are enclosed in an envelope containing a printed declaration signed by the elector - applies to pre-poll votes, postal votes, declared institution votes, absent votes and section votes.
declaration of poll
An announcement made by the returning officer naming the successful candidate elected as the Member/Councillor in the election.
democracy
Government on behalf of the people by their elected representatives.
disputed returns
A challenge regarding the validity of an Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council election. See Court of Disputed Returns.
district
Used for state elections, districts are geographical regions with clearly defined boundaries shown on electoral district maps containing approximately equal numbers of voters. Each district is represented by one of the 93 NSW Legislative Assembly seats. For the Legislative Council, the district is the whole state.
division
Australia is divided into voting districts which are known as divisions for voting in federal elections.
donkey vote
A term to describe a ballot paper marked with preferences for candidates without consideration for their policies or abilities. For example, a vote that numbers preferences in the same order the names are printed.
dual polling place
The term given to a single premises which serves as a polling place for two or more districts.
election
The choosing by vote, of a person or persons to hold office.
Election Funding Authority
The Election Funding Authority (EFA) is the statutory body responsible for administering the provisions of the Election Funding and Disclosures Act 1981. It is made up of the Electoral Commissioner as Chair and two Members appointed on the nominations of the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition.
elector
A person qualified to vote at an election.
Electoral Commissioner
The officer responsible for the registration of political parties, enrolment of electors, the preparation of lists and rolls of electors and the conduct of elections according to law.
electoral district
see district.
Election management application
A computer software application with 4-modules (staffing, candidates, declaration votes and results)that automates routine tasks performed by election officials.
electoral offence
A breach of electoral law as specified in the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912.
electoral roll
The certified list of persons entitled to vote at an election. The rolls are maintained by the Australian Electoral Commission.
enrolment
The act of enrolling or having one’s name added to the list of electors entitled to vote. Australian citizens 18 years of age and over (with few exceptions) must enrol to vote.
electors
Those on an electoral roll and certified to vote in an election.
federal government
The central or federal government is responsible for administration of functions enumerated in the Constitution on an Australia wide basis.
Federation
The unification of Australian colonies which formed the Australian nation on January, 1901.
formal vote
A ballot paper which has been correctly marked and counts in the outcome of the poll.
franchise
The right to vote.
general election
In NSW, general elections are held for all Legislative Assembly (93) seats and
half (21) of the Legislative Council seats every 4 years.
government
The exercise of political authority over the actions and affairs of the people. There are 3 levels of government in Australia - federal, state and local.
House of Representatives
The Lower House of the Australian Parliament.
how-to-vote card
A simulated copy of the ballot paper showing an elector how to mark the paper and vote for a particular candidate or party.
independent
A candidate standing for election, or an elected Member of parliament or local council, who is not a member of a political party.
informal vote
A ballot paper left blank or wrongly marked that is excluded from the count so cannot contribute to the election of a candidate.
Legislative Assembly (LA)
The Lower House of the NSW Parliament has 93 Members, 1elected from each district.
Legislative Council (LC)
The Upper House of the NSW Parliament has 42 Members elected for an 8 year term, half of whom are elected at each general election.
LGA
See local government area
Local Government Area
A subdivision of the state into geographical areas that councils are responsible for.
mandate
The authority given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory.
marginal seat
A seat held by a Member of Parliament with a small majority of votes.
Members of Parliament
All representatives elected by the people to serve them in parliament.
nomination
The process by which a person applies to become a candidate for election.
Opposition
The party or parties which do not hold sufficient seats in parliament to lead a government.
optional preferential voting
A voting system in which an elector shows by numbers their preferences for individual/groups of candidates but need not show a preference for every group/candidate listed.
ordinary vote
A vote cast at a polling place in the elector’s home district/area/ward on election day.
parliament
The legislative body, consisting of the elected representatives of the people, which determines the laws governing the nation or state. The candidates or political party holding the majority of seats forms the government.
political party
An organised group with a common political philosophy which seeks to win and retain public office. Party organisations support or endorse candidates for elections who, if elected, usually vote as a group for its policies in parliament. The party with the greatest numbers in parliament forms the government.
poll
An election.
polling place
A building such as a school set up to take the votes of the local people.
postal vote
Electors who are outside their electoral district/local government area/ward on election day or unable to attend a polling place during polling hours, may send a vote by post. Electors must apply for a postal vote prior to election day.
pre-poll vote
Electors who cannot vote on election day can apply to vote early at the office of a returning officer or at a pre-poll voting centre.
preferential vote
A vote for all candidates numbered in order of preference. Preferences of candidates with the least number of votes are then distributed to other candidates until one has sufficient votes to be elected. This system of vote counting is used in the Legislative Assembly elections.
provisional enrolment
A 17 year old Australian citizen may apply for provisional enrolment to enable them to vote when they are 18 years of age.
Premier
The leader of a state government.
President
The officer responsible for the conduct of business in the Legislative Council.
proportional representation
A system of voting designed to elect representatives in proportion to the amount of support each has in the electoral district. This system of voting is used in the Legislative Council elections.
quota
The proportion or percentage of votes required by a candidate to be elected to the Legislative Council. See proportional representation.
recount
A second or further count of votes in an election.
redistribution
Changes in boundaries of electoral districts to account for population changes so that the number of electors in each district is equal, give or take 3%.
referendum
A vote taken to allow electors to express their view on a specific subject or issue.
registered general postal voter
Electors who cannot attend a polling place may apply to have their names included on a register of general postal voters so that ballot papers are automatically sent to them without having to apply for a postal vote at each separate election.
registrar
Person responsible for maintaining electoral rolls in NSW.
return of Writ
When the election is decided, the Writs are returned to the Governor with the name/s of the successful candidate/s added.
returning officer
The electoral officer responsible for conducting an election in an electoral district or council area.
roll
See electoral roll.
scrutineer
A person appointed by a candidate to ensure that electoral procedures and counting are undertaken in a proper manner.
seat
A seat in parliament held by an elected Member or the Member’s electoral district.
secret ballot
A vote made in secret.
Senate
The Legislative Council or Upper House of the Australian Parliament.
Speaker
The officer responsible for the business of the Legislative Assembly.
suffrage
The right to vote in political elections.
tally room
A room where voting figures are collected and provisional results are announced.
term
The length of time a parliament may sit before having to call an election. NSW has fixed four year terms.
voluntary voting
The right to choose whether to vote.
vote
The process of choosing a candidate for political office.
ward
Subdivisions, with approximately equal numbers of electors, of a local government area.
Writ
The document by which the Governor, or the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in by-elections, directs returning officers to conduct an election. The Governor issues Writs on the advice of the government.